I Am An Original Woman
Awhile back EP Sarah sent me a list of questions to answer, thought I would post it in its entirety.
I am the proud mother of two wonderful kids. Both have grown up to become strong independent souls of their own. I was a stay at home mother by choice through most of my children’s youth. I felt it important that I raise them rather than depending on a day care or school system to teach and mold them into the people they were to become. When they got old enough that there was room in my life for a career I took a job as a customer service rep for an insurance agent then later became an agent myself. I spent 8 years as an agent for a single carrier and now am the proud owner of my own Independent Agency representing many companies.
1. How do you define womanhood in your life?
Womanhood is the privilege of being able to be the strongest of the strong yet no one thinks us weak when we enjoy the loving protection and support of a man. We have the ability to heal a child’s scratched knee with a simple kiss, as well as the ability to fill a man’s heart with that same simple kiss.
2. What or who has inspired you and in what ways?
My mother; because she met every challenge and rose above to accomplish so much. The person I am today and the strength I enjoy is largely due to the challenges of my youth. I consider those challenges to have been inspiration. As with anyone I suppose I had some tough times as a child. My parents divorced when I was 8 and my mother subsequently married a man who was verbally abusive. I grew up hearing that I was stupid and would never amount to anything. I spent much of my childhood believing myself to be no more than unfortunate baggage left over from my parents failed marriage. Luckily for me somewhere along the way I learned to use that in my life rather than let it define me. When bad things happen in my world I am quick to look for the solution and the next step rather than wallow in the bad. This has obviously severed me very well.
3. What advice or words of wisdom would you give young women?
In a nutshell….truth to yourself. Learn to listen to your own wisdom and to trust it. Women I believe are born with a natural instinct for life. I believe this to be an enormous gift but one that most of us including me have a hard time learning to take advantage of. Looking back on my life and the decisions I have made I certainly wish I had trusted those more. The doubts about people and relationships that I ignored were costly. Secondly I firmly believe that no one is capable of honoring you unless you first are able to honor yourself. They say that two halves come together to make a whole in relationships. I say it is more like two happy healthy people come together to form a team. Never expect someone to make you happy or to complete you or your life. If you can manage to do that for yourself you will find that all things including your relationships will be better than you can even imagine.
4. We all have fears and it’s okay to let those show…is there anything that you worry or about as a woman?
Hmmm…this one is difficult to answer. I am not sure that I would be able to define anything that I fear concerning being a woman. I can say though that one of my biggest struggles in life has been trying to find a balance between my very independent nature and learning to rather than trying to conquer everything on my own to at least on occasion ask for and allow others help.
